


Micro-Masters

by snarechan



Category: Jak and Daxter
Genre: Action, Adventure, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-04
Updated: 2010-06-04
Packaged: 2017-10-21 04:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/220946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarechan/pseuds/snarechan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a routine visit to an old friend, Jak and Daxter find themselves swept into another adventure. Old faces, new toys, and the same wacky hijinx guaranteed!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Execute Program

**Author's Note:**

  * For [demishock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/demishock/gifts).



> The original idea for this story was of a continuation and involved Vin, but that was all. It takes place _very_ shortly after Jak 3 – soon enough that the battles are still fresh in their minds, but later, when things have settled down.
> 
> This turned into a birthday gift for Cassandra Cassidy, since she inadvertently helped re-spark my interest for the game series, and in turn, inspired me to finish what has now come to be titled Micro-Masters. I'd also like it to be known that I've worked on this story _literally every single day_ , in some shape or form, since I started it on paper on December 30th and until the moment I sent it to my friend in March. I might have edited a sentence or jotted down an idea, but for 67 straight days I'd studiously worked on this fanfic.
> 
> It's completed and the rest of the chapters will be posted as soon as my beta, Keppiehed, graciously finds the time to finish and return them. Whatever mistakes remain are my own.

"Are you _positive_ this procedure is safe?" a disembodied voice asked. It belonged to a deceased – at least, in body – man named Vin, more commonly known these days as the computer guru _in_ the computer. This wasn't the first instance he'd bothered Keira with such a question.

"As safe as can be," the mechanic answered, as she had the time before that, and the time before _that_ ; equaling the same number as inquiries made by Vin. Her voice was confident, and chipper too, for being elbow deep in what amounted to someone's insides. Granted, these guts were electronic, but this particular circumstance made it impossible to separate the fact that they housed one of the greatest technological minds of Haven City, making them livelier than the average PC.

"G-give me a percentage here! Are you ten percent sure? Seventy? Ninety-nine point nine?"

"Darling, you need to chill. You've got the two loveliest machinists this side of the planet working around the clock for you. Nothing beats that," Tess said.

She was far tinier than Keira – by several _feet_ – and her stature enabled her to crawl inside the machines and fix components that were otherwise inaccessible without disassembly. Having two sets of hands working at once made the job go that much faster, and when dealing with a jittery Vin (see: _all the time_ ), the quicker, the better.

"There are _others?_ " Vin asked, missing the point entirely, and went unconsoled. "Why didn't you contact _them_ to do this upgrade?"

Lifting her head from within a metal contraption and the tangled wires bundled inside of it, Keira delivered a glare in the direction of the speakers. The projector that normally created a giant image of Vin's head had been disabled to conserve power as the ladies did their work. That left the basic essentials running, such as the mainframe that housed Vin's subconscious, which was directly connected to the central PA system. At present, this was as close to regarding him straight in the face as they were going to get.

"Tess was using a metaphor, Vin. Trust me when I say the odds of you finding someone better to do this is zero-point-zero percent. Go ahead and check the math, especially since _you_ personally requested _us_ to do this."

"Well, your credentials are excellent. I double-checked your certifications, and on the record, the both of you have highest recommendations in the field," he conceded.

Satisfied, Keira nodded and returned to her task, when Vin hastily added, "But you two were the only options listed in the directory! My databanks may not be up-to-date – the last check was four hours ago. How am I to know if someone else didn't put in their name since then?"

Smile vanishing from her face, Keira regarded Jak for assistance; she was desperately in need of a reprieve.

He'd stayed out of the way since arriving, not knowing the difference between the importance of a blue wire and a green one, and unless a computer needed hitting, he was out of his element. Jak had mostly come because wherever Tess went, Daxter wanted to follow, and it was hard to get a 'no' in when his furry friend started talking. Jak was good at ignoring his pleas and begs in the middle of a fight, the adrenalin consuming his attention, but when it came to situations like this, it was easier to give his companion what he wanted. Plus, they had promised that they would make a habit of visiting Vin again, and this was a chance to do so.

Clearing his throat, Jak cut in and tried to distract him – for Keira's sake.

"Uh, so, how's the Eco Grid holding up?" he asked. The opening was weak, but his social skills _were_ weak, so he didn't think much of it.

"Oh, you know, _demanding._ Like my mother, might I add. Always nagging about needing more of this, that or the other thing. For some reason, one side is losing power more than the others. I've tried to investigate the matter, but my scanners haven't picked up any anomalies."

"I can check into it later, if you'd like. Maybe there's something nesting in the power lines that you can't find," he volunteered.

The concept of getting some action was welcome. Things had quieted too much for Jak's liking, and the tension was making his trigger finger twitchy. Scouting the Eco Grids might alleviate some of his pent up stress, though he doubted he'd find anything. It was frustrating how he couldn't catch a break when he wanted it, and when he received it, he couldn't properly enjoy it. Story of his life.

"R-really? You think you could do that for…for me?"

The hope in that question almost made him feel guilty for not making a trip here sooner and more often. He imagined that being cooped up, alone, when the unknown lurked so closely was setting Vin on red alert and threatening to overload his circuit board.

"Yeah, sure. Dax and I can do that as soon as Keira and Tess are finished."

"What do you _mean_ 'Dax and I'?" the ottsel, whose name was referred to, quipped. He'd been conversing with Tess. His idea of a discussion, of course, being entirely one-sided on his end and simply handing over tools as requested, until he heard his name mentioned in conjunction with the makings of an assignment.

"Jak, you can't volunteer me for whatever, whenever! I have an important business to run, ya know."

"Come on, Dax. It's for a good cause."

"Bars don't run themselves!"

"Oh Daxie-kins, you don't have to pretend to be a big, powerful provider in front of me!" Tess said, her tone filled with adoration and carrying up from the confines of a steel tower. "I already know you're a savvy businessman, and I know how much you love adventure. So you go ahead and have your fun, and while you do, _I'll_ look after our place."

As Daxter struggled to find a way out of this, Jak rolled his eyes. Tess had an entirely different picture of his friend than what reality offered.

"That's sweet of you, pookie, but our baby _needs_ me. I've neglected the Naughty Ottsel too long as it is, and there's a lot of work to do on it, thanks to Ink-face's lack of interior designing skills."

"Phooey! All it needs is a new coat of paint and a woman's touch. It'll be fine for one day, and who knows, maaaaybe there'll be a nice surprise for you when you return."

Unexpectedly, Keira's wrench slipped, knuckles catching on the edge of a panel as her concentration snapped at hearing that portion of the chat. Jak wasn't faring that well, either, mentally backtracking and trying to block the last three minutes from his life. Also noteworthy: this was the first time thus far that Vin had hushed.

"Well," Dax started, shattering the disturbed silence, "in that case, I won't mind going with my buddy. I mean, how bad can it be? We've recently defeated evil gods and a hybrid creation against nature. That doesn't leave a whole lot that we can't handle, am I right?"

"Oh, pudding-cakes, that's the brave ottsel I remember and love!" she said, popping out of a small hole and giving her boyfriend a hug. "You'll have to tell me all about it when you get back, my little snuggle-"

"And I'm done," Keira said as she screwed in one last bolt. Dusting off her hands, she turned to Tess. "What about you? Finished installing everything?"

"Oh, you bet! Easier than painting my nails," Tess declared. Following the other girl's example, Tess climbed out and cleaned up loose ends, grabbing a large dial with numbers ranging from zero to fifty on it. She dropped it in place, sat down on top, and like a merry-go-round, spun to tighten the part into place. When it was firmly set, she shook her head to clear it, dizzy from the ordeal.

"Y-you're done? Already?" Vin asked. He sounded a bit suspicious. "You made sure to connect the-"

" _Vin_ ," Keira said steadfastly, but not unkindly. She could understand that this was his well-being at stake, and respected his reason for concern, but she had earned her reputation. No way would she cut corners or take unnecessary risks. She said as much, along with adding, "We're going to take this slow and triple check _everything_ , I promise. Then Jak and Dax here will go on their cheery way and inspect the exterior grid for you. Now let's test your new hardware."

She flipped a switch, activating three keyboards that unfolded from a hidden compartment. With skilled fingers that typed too fast for Jak to follow, she started inputting sequences that had other machines starting up and opening specific software. Their lights flickered on – a soft glow that eventually grew into a bright, blue shine, and the monitors came alive.

"How you feeling so far, Vin?"

"Kind of tingly. Is that supposed to happen?"

"I think so."

"You _think_ so?"

Undaunted, Keira didn't flinch at his tone, and continued typing as she said, "I've never worked on a sentient piece of equipment before, so I'm not sure what they should or shouldn't experience during this process. But nothing's flagging, so I think we're in the clear so far. Are you picking up on the upgrades yet?"

"Mm, yeah, there they are. I'm…I'm really impressed that you two managed to add all of this."

An extensive wall of text appeared, changing colors as they were checked off as functional, and what was left had its coding fiddled with.

"Okay, that should do it. Tess, gradually put it up to full power. If it holds, then we're stable."

At her behest, Tess did as instructed, little by little adding wattage. A screen with five bars on it started filling up, and when the numbers reached one-hundred percent, she gave Keira the thumbs up. Diagnostics, with words that would doubtfully be clarified in a dictionary because of their complicated purpose, came and went. Daxter watched them in boredom.

"Somebody change the channel on this thing."

"Working on it. Syncing up with the network in three…two…one," Keira said.

Camera feeds started showing up. Jak recognized the Slums and other districts as they started to appear. All the computers were running at full capacity, filling their ears with a soft humming noise.

"Connection is complete. Prior systems, online. Communications, online," Vin droned, sounding uncharacteristically less human as he spoke to them, until, "Security…okay, that's weird."

Pausing, Keira and Tess glanced at the main screen, Vin's holographic head appearing. None of them remembered the image looking so grainy – possibly due to interference, or the feed not quite caught up to the standards of the new equipment.

"Weird how?" Jak asked, acknowledging the dread that was settling like a knife in his spine. It prickled all the way up his back, causing him to roll his shoulders to loosen them. Subconsciously, he was gearing up to fight or run.

"Oh _Precursors' beards_ , remember that little problem with the Eco Grid I was mentioning? Well, I wasn't picking up something _before_ , but there's d-definitely something there _now!_ Those new precautions I had you ladies install have pinpointed the issue."

"What is it? And where?" Keira demanded to know, fingers on the fly again, when suddenly everything acted up. The consistent blue glow of the machines started creating a rainbow effect as they flashed off and on in different colors. The monitors went black, and Vin's hologram turned off with them. Next, things started moving on their own, especially Keira's keyboard.

"Hey, Vin!" she yelled, reaching for the keyboard she'd been using. Jak grabbed her wrists and stopped them short of having the panels snap her fingers in half as they disappeared into them. "I wasn't finished!"

"N-n-n-n-ot meeeeeee."

The 'e' in that last word continued screeching after Vin stopped speaking, the noise hurting their ears. Daxter and Tess covered theirs, their sensitive hearing above even Jak's and Keira's. The sound must have been excruciating.

"Knock that racket _off!_ " Daxter said. Tess whimpered in agreement.

Jak reached for his gun, intending to shoot until he hit whatever was making the noise, but it was Keira's turn to nab him. She wasn't strong enough to prevent him from bringing his Morph Gun into the open, but he halted from unloading on the room at large when she took hold of him.

"No, don't! If you hit a main component, you could kill Vin! It's too risky!"

"We have to do something!" he pointed out, having to yell to be heard over the squeal of the computers.

Warmth, like a coiling tree viper, began filling the room as the machines overheated. There was also the telltale smell of a fire starting nearby, because Jak identified smoke and hot steel. It tinged the air, sending Keira into a panic.

"Shut him down, Tess! He'll blow if this continues!"

"I'm trying!" she said, her tiny hands aided by Daxter's as they forcefully pulled plugs on their side. Keira rushed over to the hover platform, intending on interacting with some of the equipment higher up, but whatever she planned on doing couldn't help at this point. Sensing the impending explosion, Jak barely achieved shielding her with his body; the both of them were sent soaring into a wall and slumped down on top of a workstation. He could feel controls jabbing into his side, and Keira's fingers shook as they clung to his shirt.

She might have said his name – twice? – and Daxter's, too. Keira was asking the ottsel a question, but he must not have heard, because she was calling out louder.

 _Shrill_.

He tried to respond and ask why she sounded like that.

But he couldn't.

* * *

To Be Continued…


	2. Execute Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a routine visit to an old friend, Jak and Daxter find themselves swept into another adventure. Old faces, new toys, and the same wacky hijinx guaranteed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another installment is here! Things get a little more interesting for the boys, but I promise that this is only the beginning of all the fun. The next two chapters (three and four) were returned as well, so I will try to alter what I need and get them out as soon as possible. Gotta make them last, though!
> 
> All chapters are beta read by the dedicated Keppiehed who, despite complications in moving and other real life obligations, has somehow found time to correct the chapters to this story. So be sure to say a little thanks, since Micro-Masters wouldn't be half the story it is without their advice. :)

The world was fragmented.

No – do over; that assessment wasn't quite correct. _Jak_ was in pieces: floating right there, here, and maybe in the middle of nowhere. It was disconcerting, to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't whole, but felt no fear.

He ordered his eyes to open, and surprisingly, they did. There wasn't a clear indication to confirm this; all that he could decipher was pitch blackness. The shade was never-ending, making it so that he was unable to see what it was he was lying on. When he tried to shift into a sitting position, he definitely felt a solid surface supporting him, but that was his sole clue.

"J-Jak! Don't! _D_ _on't move!_ "

That was Vin. Jak recognized his voice. A second later, the other man's face – clear, in full 3D color – came into view, accompanied by his body. It was in the same state as his head. This struck Jak as odd. He had almost forgotten what the other looked like before the accident, and seeing it again made his thoughts go hazy, as if he was unable to grasp them.

"You, um, need to take it slow," he said, his teeth chattering so hard in his nervousness that it was difficult to figure out what he was saying. "You're not finished downloading."

"Hnngh?"

That was the extent of coherence Jak could manage.

"Seriously, hold on five more minutes. You…y-you're almost complete."

Jak glanced around (that was all he _could_ do in the meantime) and his eyes widened as they landed on his own hands. They were normal up to the wrist, where blue ones and zeroes were swirling _en masse_ , gradually forming his palms and fingers. Shortly after the numbers collected, a grid appeared and filled in with skin tone, fingernails and fabric. He'd seen a lot of bizarre occurrences in his life, but that was among his top ten.

"Don't panic!" Vin shouted, hurriedly collapsing to his hands and knees to be on the same level as Jak and filling his vision. His next sentence grew in volume as he said, "Whatever you do, _don't panic_ _!_ "

He wasn't sure why _he_ was freaking out; Vin wasn't the one whose limbs were missing!

"What the hell is going on?" Jak tried to roar, but his vocal cords weren't cooperating. His voice came out sounding hoarse and worn, like he'd been screaming too long, but that didn't make sense. Nothing about his throat _felt_ raw – he was intimately familiar with the consequences of overabundant screaming, what it meant when the soft tissue was too dry and stung with each breath. He wasn't getting that kind of feedback; it was more like he didn't have the energy or the full set of mass to pull it off.

"T-two and a half minutes, and then I _promise_ to tell you everything. _Just_ two and half minutes!"

Grinding his molars, he waited for the allotted time to tick past. Forced to remain motionless, he became increasingly annoyed with the whole situation. He kept devising more questions – important ones that _needed_ to be addressed. Just when he didn't think he could tolerate it any longer, he returned to himself.

There was no other way to describe what happened, because he'd never experienced anything akin to it, nor did he think he ever would again. _Everything_ that made Jak what he was went crashing into him, refreshing and disorientating all at once. His memories – past and present – flooded his mind, his instincts returned, and sensation tentatively resurfaced. The latter was different, though. He was still flat on his stomach, and he comprehended that there was ground underneath him, but he couldn't identify textures, temperatures…nothing. Currently, whether it was because he couldn't collect such details or there wasn't anything _to_ gather, there was no telling.

Finally permitted to move, he pushed himself up and grabbed Vin by the collar, which brought them nose-to-nose.

" _Explain_ ," he said. Simple, short, and to the point. Much like how he'd threaten him again – the next level involving a short-range gun at point-blank range.

"P-promise me you won't get mad."

"Vin, I'm _already_ mad."

The threatening growl that tinged his words caused the man to quiver, and remorse prodded Jak's consciousness. He ended up dismissing it, because it wasn't like he was _really_ aiming to hurt the advanced technician. Vin got to the point that much faster under pressure, and he needed answers, pronto.

"You're…it's…I! I…" he started, immediately after the foreboding prompting of his name. "Virus…not my _fault_ …and then Daxter too…"

"What about Dax?"

Seemingly devoid of the courage to continue speaking, Vin pointed over Jak's shoulder. Looking in that direction, he spotted Daxter curled up on his side, immobile. Stricken with worry, he released Vin and rushed over to the ottsel, skidding on his knee guards the last couple of feet in his hurry. Jak's rush was negated when fear froze him to a standstill.

Was his friend damaged? His fingers hovered close to his fur, concerned that the faintest touch would cause him undue pain, but at the same time needing reassurance that he was alive.

"What's wrong with him?"

"His rate of download is at fifty percent. He should be coming around soon," Vin said, voice borderline falsetto due to mounting hysteria. He was pacing and wringing his hands.

"Downloading?"

"Yes. I can't explain exactly _how,_ but I would I theorize that since the equipment was going haywire, one of them must have been activated and brought you two in."

Jak shook his head, Vin's babbling further muddled the situation rather than clarifying it.

"Vin, stop. You're not making any sense. Try telling me what you know from the beginning," he said, and was swift to add, "in layman's terms."

His pacing picked up tempo, and his hands stopped twisting and started waving around in the air as he said, "You're in the _computer_ , Jak! _My_ computer, with _me!_ "

It was so obvious what had happened that he felt like a moron for not figuring it out himself, but in his defense, the option had seemed farfetched. He didn't recall the 'uploading process' – there was a large gap in his memory, in fact – and having it explained to him with no prompts threw Jak off. Reeling from the blunt change in tracks, he kept silent as Vin continued.

"Oh, how I should have foreseen this! It was going smoothly – _too_ smoothly! N-nothing ever goes that well in these kinds of situations! Why does this always happen to me?" he bemoaned. "And now the two of you are stuck here. Not that I don't mind the company, since it gets awfully lonely-"

"Stuck _?_ Did you just say _stuck_?"

Vin nodded morosely.

"To protect myself, I had to cut the connection between my personal storage units and Haven City's network. On top of that, the hardlines were destroyed; I couldn't reconnect even if I wanted to. Most of the city is probably without power because of that."

"Great," Jak said, running a hand through his hair in agitation.

There came a moan from Daxter, the sound temporarily halting their exchange, and Jak concentrated his full attention on him.

"Dax! Are you alright?"

"Not with you yelling into my ear like that," his friend groused, rubbing at said ears to enforce his point. "Can't a guy recover in peace and _quiet?_ "

Jak laughed, more out of relief than in humor, and said, "You're okay then, if you're talking like that."

"Ugh, and what happened? Did Kleiver run me over with the Dune Hopper and then sit on me? I sure feel like it."

Sobering at the reminder of their predicament, Jak turned toward Vin, who was _still_ pacing.

"Actually, I've been trying to make sense of that myself. Vin, you mind trying again?"

"Mmph, do you intend on giving me a coronary? Just _hypothesizing_ the implications of your arrival indicates catastrophic-"

"Oh, hey, if you're there, and we're here, that means I'm in the bean-counter again, huh?" Daxter asked, interrupting Vin mid-tirade. He reached out his arms to examine them, and did the same for his hind legs and tail. "Boy, the quality sure is high-def! The last time I was here, it was pixel…y. Ish."

"Mm, yes! That would be the upgrades in effect. What's left of them after the explosion, at any rate," Vin said.

"Awesome! What else is new?"

"Dax, this isn't really the right time to be focusing on such things. We should be thinking of a way to escape," Jak said.

"Hey, hey, hey, in a sec, wonder shirt! We're here, so we might as well scope this out. What about it Vinnie – what else can this pile of bolts do?"

Vin visibly brightened at the invitation to 'get technical', his inner geek shining through as he went into finite detail.

"Wait until you see! As you can guess, the graphics capabilities are through the proverbial roof! Of course, to take advantage of that, the processing output had to be increased tenfold. I mean, check _this_ out," he said, holding out his hand. In the blink of an eye, something began to digitize in his palm, the final product a citrus fruit. It was small, but the amount of features involved made it appear authentic.

"Cool!" Daxter praised. "Do you reckon it can do something bigger?"

"Well, sure! The calculations that can be done are astronomical; the only limitations are the mind. You could do a whole person at this degree."

"Get out of town. You mean I could redo my entire, sexy self?"

"Dax, I don't think-"

Jak's warning came too late. Daxter's body vanished as it was reverted down to ones and zeroes. Frantically, he reached out for him, but his fingers touched nothing save dead space. Thankfully, the ottsel returned.

Except, he wasn't an ottsel anymore.

Sporting orange and red hair, eight fingers and toes, and standing an inch or two taller than Jak, Daxter was… _normal._ It was as if he was back in Sandover Village – albeit older – with long ears, freckles, big teeth and all. None of them could believe their eyes; the sight unreal. Testing the new image, Daxter stretched his appendages, the muscles moving as they should.

"Holy yacow, I'm-"

"Average!" Vin said.

"You again!" Jak said at the same time as Vin, his jaw slack.

"Drop dead gorgeous," Daxter finished, flexing a bicep. "Seriously, check out these guns! They're bigger than yours, Jak."

They weren't, but no one had the heart to correct him.

"How are you…?" Jak started, poking Daxter in the ribs. His friend flinched at the touch, unyielding under his finger.

"My technology has the capacity to formulate countless possibilities. In this realm, reality is skewed," Vin elaborated for their benefit. Even he was amazed by this turn of events, however, and circled Daxter with a critical glance. Adjusting his glasses, he said, "Still, there should be set perimeters! H-how could my machines take an ottsel and spit out a – well, look at you! This is impossible! Maybe it's a glitch?"

"Whatever it is, I can _totally_ dig it."

"Don't get too attached," Vin said. "It's by no means permanent. In here, you can change your appearance, but in the real world, you return to your default settings, as it were."

"Speaking of the real world, you still haven't explained how to send us there," Jak said, backtracking to the original topic of discussion. "As interesting as this has been, we need to leave."

"That's what I was _telling you before!_ Right now, there is no going back!"

"There _has_ to be a way. You're a genius, Vin! Can't you figure something out?"

Vin scratched his cheek and gnawed on his bottom lip as he thought, struggling as he said, "But there isn't, I swear to you, Jak! Without outside assistance, I can't hook up to the Power Station, and I don't dare test any wireless options. I can't defend myself from a second attack, it'll ruin me – and in turn, _you two_ – for good."

Rubbing his chin, Jak listened, but refused to give in as easily. He'd face this challenge head on, like he did everything else in life. As he pondered a solution, his eyes wandered towards Daxter, who was still admiring himself. Oblivious to their dire straits, he was talking to his 'guns', saying "Whose got lethal firepower? I do, yes I do! Set lasers to stun, for the ladies."

The more Jak stared, an idea started to take shape.

Staring down at his hand, he furrowed his brow in concentration.

"You might not be able to fight whatever started this mess, Vin," he said, the item he summoned finalizing solidly in his grasp. It was his Morph Gun, equipped with the red mod, and fully loaded. "But I sure have no qualms kicking its ass if it means getting us out of here."

* * *

To Be Continued…


	3. Digital Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a routine visit to an old friend, Jak and Daxter find themselves swept into another adventure. Old faces, new toys, and the same wacky hijinx guaranteed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have good news, everyone! Since Keppiehed is an _amazing_ person, they managed to get the final three chapters beta read and returned to me, meaning I'll try to have this story updated every Wednesday from here until the end. There was more I wanted to write here, but I'll let the chapter speak for itself this time because the action picks up once again, hah hah.

The storage space housing the three men, which Vin had gone on to explain was actually a folder he'd dumped them into last minute, was buzzing with activity. Neither Jak nor Daxter understood how Vin was doing what he was doing, but he was, and full tilt.

"If you're feeling suicidal, I'm not going to get in your way," Vin was saying, fingers rapidly moving in front of him. A blue console of sorts had opened at his call, resembling a touch screen with a keyboard attachment. He was pushing certain picture-buttons and inputting commands. "And I'm _definitely_ not aiming to join you! But I won't leave you hanging, either. I can help prepare you for five billion, two hundred and forty-seven outcomes, but the unpredictable one – you're on your own!"

"What, uh, do you have in mind?" Daxter asked, easily looking over Vin's head to see what he was doing. "You got a super-duper, top-secret weapon in storage or somethin'?"

"Better!" Vin declared, pushing one final button and calling forth…

"A SCUBA-diving wetsuit?" Jak asked dubiously.

"I don't see how a pair of long underwear is going to keep us from kicking the bucket," Daxter deadpanned. Jak nodded in agreement.

Releasing a long-suffering sigh, Vin said, "It's _not_ what you think it is. This is a prototype I've been designing for myself, but you two are going to need it, even more than I am. It's a light-armor bodysuit."

Flicking his fingers in the air in front of the suit, he copied it and then motioned for it to cover Jak. The material didn't smack him in the face like he was expecting; instead it spread-eagled and molded over his body. It combined with the clothes and Precursor armor he continued to wear, and morphed _into_ them. The coloring overall became blue, and he appeared as if he was wearing a less clunkier version of Freedom League armor.

Assessing its flexibility, he made a fist, the gloves acting like a second skin rather than a coating. Whenever he moved, he could spot straight lines running up, down and occasionally across, covering the entire length of the suit. He also tapped his greave, noticing that the material didn't give in the slightest, and a digital display activated. It had features such as a map pre-designed into it.

"No hacker will ever be able to get through _that_ ," Vin said, flicking his fingers again. This time he aimed for Daxter, who'd only been sporting his recently God-granted pair of pants.

"Hey, watch the threads! I just got _these_ ," he said, his version of the armor more distinct. It was colored a deep red and had bulk, making up for Daxter's lack of dress.

"Hey Jak, does this thing make my butt look big?" Daxter asked.

No one dared to even touch that remark.

"It will keep you safe from firewalls and known infections, but don't get cocky! It's not field tested or perfected. The risk of a hiccup exists, and that thing from before – whatever it was – hasn't been encountered before. It _can_ kill you, and when you die here, it's permanent. Poof, total deletion!"

Daxter gulped, disturbed by the prospect, and gazed imploringly at Jak. "Ya know, maybe we should wait. Keira and my gal might be working on a way to reboot the computers or whatever! We might not _have_ to go through with this."

"We don't know that for sure, Dax. The girls could be hurt for all we know and need our help," he pointed out. "No, we have to go. And while we're out there, we can destroy whatever had the bright idea to contend with us."

His friend raised a finger in protest, but said nothing when facing the awful truth that Keira or Tess might be in danger.

"No one can say I don't love my little Tessie," Daxter agreed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Geared to their limits and prepared as they were ever going to be, there wasn't much else to do but start exploring. Vin typed in what looked like lengthy passwords to unlock a gateway.

"I'm going to drop you two as close to the Freedom League network as possible to cut down on walking distance. It's the second and _only_ facility with a matter-converter like the one used to get you in here. Contact Ashelin or Torn, and they can hook you up."

"Oh, great, our last hope is that pair of dreadilocs? We're _doomed_ ," Daxter groaned.

"Thanks, Vin," Jak said earnestly, for the both of them.

"Don't thank me yet. It's a cyber-jungle out there, and I'm placing you smack dab in the middle of it. Good luck, and remember: _no dying_!"

A doorway – one that resembled a Warp Gate, shining ripples and all – materialized. It sported an assortment of deadbolts and chains in a complicated system that eventually unlocked one at a time. When the last precaution disengaged, Jak and Daxter were able to go through. His friend needed some… _encouragement_ in the form of a forceful pull, but they were on their way.

Jak exited first, somersaulting into a crouch, gun sighted and aimed. He scoped out the territory and checked for threats, but their new surroundings were empty of activity. The way Vin had painted it, he thought there would be bugs, monsters – _something_ crawling around, but it was as devoid as the place he'd left.

Standing upright, Daxter crashed into his back as he came out of the portal, unused to his old pair of legs yet – or so he claimed. Clumsiness had _nothing_ to do with the equation. With him deposited, the opening closed and disappeared without a trace.

"Wow, it's deserted," Daxter said, taking notice of how unaccompanied they were, too. "Shame on us for trusting that spazzhead. He could make _me_ second guess my own name if I let him prattle on long enough. So, where to, buddy ol' pal ol' friend? Over the river and through the woods, right?"

"I wish," he said, prodding buttons on his gift from Vin until the map selection reappeared. "According to this, we have a long trek ahead."

"Color me surprised… What's that?" his friend asked, pointing to a light-colored line that cut close by. It was razor-thin on the overall view, so Jak had to enhance the image to get a better idea.

"Not sure. This labels it as an 'information highway'."

"Hey, I bet that means it's a shortcut! The word 'highway' is in it, and everybody knows those are the quickest way from point A to point B!"

Jak shrugged, the logic as good as any he could have devised.

"Sounds fine by me. Not as if there's an alternate way I can see, and besides, if it doesn't work, we can turn around and try again."

Daxter nodded and led the charge, though he eventually slowed his wider strides to fall into step with Jak, since he didn't know the way. The situation was weird at first, neither one of them accustomed to keeping in step together. Subconsciously, Jak was feeling it most of all, periodically rolling his shoulder to adjust for a weight that no longer rested there. The distraction niggled at the edges of his perception, but after twenty minutes of walking, they were able to conform to the difference. Somewhat.

"I've been thinking," Daxter said later, unable to stay silent for too long, "that there might be a bright side to this. The longer we stay, the more I can play with this newfangled bod of mine. It's missing crucial particulars that I should fix while I can."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. For starters, a tattoo _._ I'm struggling to decide what to get: a heart with Tess' name on it, or 'The Daxinator' written in flames."

Unable to help himself, Jak laughed.

" _What?_ "

"You know what I mean, I know ya do! All the toughest dudes have at least _one_ , unless they're too ugly to keep a girl – you and I excluded, granted. The rest resort to skulls or crocadogs, probably for that reason. But me, I'm lucky to have the most gorgeous gal in the world. It'd be a shame not to immortalize her on my handsome physique!"

"You remember that _Torn_ has tattoos, right?"

Daxter paused, and a horror-struck expression marred his countenance as the reminder dawned on him.

"Aw, Jak! Why'd you have to go and ruin it like that? If I got one now, all I'd think about when I saw it is that guy's saggy face! Ugh. Okay, okay, how about an earring? I've always wanted one of those, but needles make me queasy."

Yeah, him and Jak both.

They continued like that, holding idle chit-chat, with Jak adjusting their course when required. Empty space was their scenery, a noiseless void that steadily began to put them on edge. As the saying went: it was quiet, _too_ quiet.

Shivering, Daxter said, "Is it just me, or do things seem off to you? I'm not one to knock a good thing, but shouldn't we have run into trouble? Our luck is never this…well, lucky!"

"I have a bad vibe, too," Jak admitted, lowering his wrist and doing a three-sixty. His circling didn't reveal anything he'd missed.

"Seriously, I thought machines were supposed to be fast paced, constantly active. So far this is duller than a Monday night after closing. And you know what's worse? I- ack!"

Preceding the other's protest was a harsh _thunk_ , produced from Daxter's skull connecting with a foreign, metallic object. It was red and black, and resembled-

"HOVER BOT!" Jak screamed, whipping his gun around and firing three rapid shots. The former two missed, but the last hit his target. The robot gave a feeble jerk as it collapsed, camera lens focusing on their feet, before it vanished in a flurry of ones and zeroes.

"What…what in the name of Ashelin's thong is a _KG Hover Bot_ doing here? And where did it come from?" Daxter asked, idly rubbing the back of his head where the machine had run into it. "They should be gone after we demolished that factory!"

"Where we come from, yeah, but that doesn't mean proof of their existence isn't. Whatever makes them tick must be floating around."

"That doesn't explain how it got here, or what it was doing! Do ya think it's what caused Vin's meltdown?"

"Anything's possible," Jak said, unwilling to discount a possibility. The mystery was merely unraveling; it was too early to assume one thing or the other.

"Though, it was a bit small to cause that…much…" Daxter trailed off, gaze lingering somewhere behind Jak's back. "Uh, Jak, I think our luck has run dry."

Turning, Jak saw what he meant. A ton of KG Death Bots were heading straight for them. Some were flying like the one he'd just destroyed, and there were more crawling on the ground like crabs or spiders. The whole group was moving fast, covering a huge distance in a small amount of time. Jak set his weapon to the Vulcan Fury mod, his Morph Gun shifting lengthwise, and he adjusted his stance accordingly. Daxter followed his example and summoned a gun of his own, his sporting the yellow mod.

"Hey, Jak?"

He didn't say a word, but his partner didn't need prompting.

"The next time I open my big, stupid mouth and whine about a lull in action, you have my express permission to duct tape it shut. Don't go abusing the offer, though."

"Gotcha."

The KG Bots were nearly on top of them, and Jak charged directly into the fray, holding the trigger and never letting up. The Morph Gun's kickback threatened to knock out both his shoulders; it was more powerful than he imagined it would be, and it mowed down the machines five, seven at a time. He gave the area a wide sweep, preventing them from getting past. Daxter sniped individual robots that lingered after Jak had moved on, taking pot shots that finished what his friend had started.

Unfortunately, their efforts weren't putting a dent in their numbers. If Jak didn't know better, he would swear they were _increasing_ in amount. He was beginning to become overwhelmed. Spy and Hover Bots were getting in close and making contact, swiping at his legs or shooting close range. He could hear Daxter struggling to keep up, his grunts strained.

"Jaaak! I hate to admit it, but we may be losing! Do something! Go macho darkness if you have to!"

Accessing that half of himself – the one instilled in him thanks to a pair of sick fucks that were gone and hadn't taken with them what they had bestowed upon him – wasn't something he feared anymore. Dark Eco – and whatever _used_ Dark Eco – by definition wasn't worth keeping, but Jak was anything if resourceful and he'd play the cards that were dealt to him, especially since he had an Ace in the form of Light Eco completing the balancing act that was his existence. He was in control, he could unleash the beast without losing himself. And so he tapped into it.

 _ERROR! ERROR!_

Cringing in pain, the migraine that overcame Jak sent him to his knees with a gasp. He dropped his gun, unintentionally leaving himself open to attack, and Daxter had to pick up the pace to defend him.

"Get up, get up, get up, get up!"

"Nngh…we need a plan two-point-oh," Jak said, clutching the side of his head with one hand as he reached blindly for his gun. Finding it, he smashed it into a Shock Bot.

"Whatever, that's cool. Just _get up!_ "

He did so, albeit weakly, as the headache receded. Frantically, he considered their other options, as limited as they were.

Taking a hesitant step back, he said, "Run directly to your right, and don't stop! Try and reach the highway."

"How far is it? I can't see it from here!"

"Just go, Dax!" he instructed, reluctant to tell him that he wasn't sure. It could be closer than he thought, or too far away to matter when it came to saving their lives. If he stopped firing to look at the map on his wrist, it would be the last thing he ever did. When he judged his friend to be far enough away, he went that direction, too. He switched to the red mod, eliminating the Death Bots that had trailed them and got nearer.

Daxter was far ahead of him by then, sprinting like it was what he was born and bred to do. He was a tiny dot bobbing up and down at the stretches of Jak's vision, and it was that slight movement that alerted him to when his partner unexpectedly stopped, coming up short.

"Dax, why are you stopping? Keep going!"

"Go _where?_ " he shouted back, voice faint but remaining distinguishable.

Too soon, he found out what Daxter meant. They'd reached the information highway alright and were apparently standing several _hundred_ feet above it. Jak slid to a stop and glowered at the world below. Things he couldn't identify because they were traveling too fast and too far to see flashed by.

The steep walls extended beyond jumping distance. Continuing to race across bare terrain wouldn't benefit them in the slightest, even if were they capable of leaping across.

With zilch for options – _again_ – Jak took the initiative and risked it all. Taking Daxter by the hand and not giving him the chance to protest or fight him on this, they jumped.

* * *

To Be Continued…


	4. Racing Simulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a routine visit to an old friend, Jak and Daxter find themselves swept into another adventure. Old faces, new toys, and the same wacky hijinx guaranteed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over halfway there! This is actually one of two favorite chapters to me because it has a lot of fun scenes in it, the second being the final chapter/epilogue. I hope all you loyal readers find it as amusing and action packed as I do, and thank you to everyone for sticking with the story thus far. The reviews this has been receiving are such a great pick-me-up.
> 
> Credit goes to Keppiehed for beta reading all the chapters. Without their guidance, this story might have been a goner.

Daxter was screaming into Jak's left ear, an obnoxious ringing noise accompanying the prolonged exposure. On top of that, he was _choking him_ , both arms coiled around Jak's neck in a death grip as they free-fell.

"We're going to die! I'm too young to perish like this! _What's wrong with you, Jak_?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Jak admonished, but despite his words and how determined his friend was to strangle him, he was smirking. "Where's your imagination?"

"Don't you dare get cryptic with me at a time like this! Aw man, I never got to see a statue made in my honor! This isn't fair!"

Shaking his head, Jak closed his eyes and concentrated, and when they neared the wall, a metal platform expanded out from under his boots, forming an exact replica of the Jet Board Keira had made him. It propelled him off the surface and into the air. Daxter lost his grip as they wildly rebounded, but Jak flew to retrieve him, and to the other's chagrin, caught and held him bridle-style.

"Handsome, we've got to stop meeting like this," he drawled, unamused. "Also, bogies at six o'clock!"

Jak spun, only just avoiding gunfire, and ended up flying backwards. He'd done it intentionally, wanting to gauge his odds. There were about ten fliers tracking them, the others of that type falling behind, and the ground units crawling over the cliff sides, but also unable to keep pace.

"You're gonna have to shoot them out of the sky for me. I've got my hands full."

"Yeah, leave 'em to me. And stay _steady_ …!"

Diving without warning headfirst into speeding traffic, Jak had to calculate three steps ahead to keep from getting them squished like bugs on a windshield. The congestion reminded him of rush hour in Haven City, except instead of hellcats or zoomers, it was what appeared to be giant envelopes. He tried to avoid ramming into them, along without getting shot.

Daxter counted aloud whenever he eliminated an enemy, their numbers decreasing steadily.

"This last guy is starting to twirk me off," Daxter said when he'd whittled the ten down to one. "Quirky little shit, I'll give it that."

"Maybe I can shake it."

He tried weaving in and out of oncoming traffic, wildly going up and down, and he even attempted to flip behind it, to no avail. The remaining enemy was smaller than the previous attackers, and that accounted for its swifter speed and agility.

"Okay, so it's starting to twirk me off, too."

"I _know!_ What are they feeding that thing, rocket fuel?"

When he didn't answer, Daxter said, "Um, Jak, I know I shouldn't keep questioning your judgment – 'cause believe me, you haven't failed us yet, and I appreciate that – but why, pray tell, are you heading right for that _incoming letter of death?_ "

"I have an idea."

"Oh, of course. I see."

A moment passed. Jak didn't break from his course.

"For the record, that was _sarcasm_ , Jak. I don't see! Dodging would be a sweet deal to take!"

"This'll work."

" _What_ will work? Your crazy scheme to turn us into pancakes?"

"This," he said, dodging the envelope at the last possible second. The Hover Bot wasn't as fortunate, a corner of it dinging into the fast-paced object without slowing. It was knocked off route and didn't recover in time to avoid a second envelope rushing from the opposite direction, and it was obliterated.

No longer being tracked, Jak scanned for a spot to set down. There was a tunnel of sorts a ways ahead, and it had a wide ledge over top. It was the closest and safest location readily available, so he went for it. The last foot or so was treacherous; his hoverboard sputtered once, twice, and then vanished. They collapsed rather than landed, shamelessly sprawling wherever they fell.

Jak felt sluggish, his legs struggling to obey his request to stir. He couldn't see any wounds and they weren't hurting; it felt more like they weren't all there just yet. He remained lying on his back, hoping locomotion would return as soon as he was finished recovering.

"That was a fine combination of wacky, fun adventure times and nightmare fuel," Daxter said, looking as winded as Jak felt. "By the by, what happened back there? I thought you were readying to RAWR out, but nothing came of it."

"I don't know, Dax. I can't explain it, but I…"

He waved his hand, unable to elaborate. Telling why he was gifted with Eco from when he was a little kid was an anomaly – always had been, and probably always will be – and Dark Eco in particular. Since those experiments years ago infused him with inhuman powers, the precise reasons he survived where none others had went unexplained. The process of using them was equally as complicated, and he didn't know where to begin illuminating.

He tried to call forth the Dark Eco, wondering if it had been a fluke earlier, but he met with the same results. Head-splitting agony coursed through him, like a giant hammer to the skull that transferred right down to his gut, and left him practically comatose. This time, the migraine settled for an extended haul, and when he came around his vision was full of blue and freckles.

"Jak, come on, Jak! Say something, for Criminy's sake! Don't make me create smelling salts – that stuff _reeks_ and _I_ won't like it."

"S-something," he said, the blue filling his sights disappearing as Daxter blinked.

"Worst chance to be a wise guy, _ever_ ," his friend said. "I thought you'd left me for the Great Beyond! And you're not allowed to go, not without _me_. I have virgins and drinks with fancy little umbrellas in them waiting for me, and I won't let you hog them."

Sitting back, Daxter gave Jak breathing room as he stiffly sat up and said, "Mm. Yeah, definitely no dark powers. I'm not taking a chance on Light Eco, either, so no healing. We'll have to be extra careful."

"Dang, things keep looking better and better, huh?"

Jak's sentiments exactly.

Not keen on moving quite yet, he activated the device on his wrist guard and inspected where to go next. Turned out, there were several information highways that branched off after the tunnel they were sitting on, though they didn't go by the same name and were smaller. They had detailed titles that matched Haven City districts, and even tinier 'roads' that related to shops, residences, and the like. Taking note of that, he searched for familiar locations, which resulted in the Naughty Ottsel and the New Haven City district popping up.

"I think I found our ticket out of here, or at least a start. Your bar is closer to where we are – does Torn still have his base of operations stationed there?"

"Pffft, yeah, that lame freeloader! He keeps saying he'll move out at the end of the month, but that was _three months ago!_ And he keeps giving free rounds to his men! He _hates_ lushes, especially when they're close to deployment, so I know he's doing it on purpose to get a reaction out of me. Worst of all, it's working."

"Hopefully he still _is_ there. If we find a way to get in touch with him, maybe he can get us out of here."

"Just don't bribe him with more alcohol. He's drinking me out of business. How do you suppose we get there, anyway?"

Jak glanced at the envelopes below, and when his friend noticed the direction he was staring, he fiercely shook his head.

"Do I look like a yacow wrangler to you? I ain't riding on one of those!"

"I can carry you again, if you'd prefer," Jak suggested.

"Yeehaw, little doggie," Daxter said, unenthusiastic.

* * *

Riding the giant envelopes was similar to controlling a zoomer, Jak discovered. They were sleek and fast, but ran in a straight, predetermined path. If he leaned hard to the right or left, he could manage to change lanes slightly, but he found it easier to jump from envelope-to-envelope than to navigate.

"How are you doing, Dax?"

"What kind of cockamamie question is _that?_ "

Jak glanced back over his shoulder and spotted Daxter a couple slots behind, clinging to the tail end of a different mode of 'transport'. It wasn't an envelope, but a picture frame with the letters JPEG scrawled across it in Precursor font.

Alright, so maybe not a whole lot like riding a zoomer at all.

"You gonna make it?"

"Oh, I'll make it alright, and at our next stop, I'm going to kick your sorry-"

"Then get ready to transfer, the Naughty Ottsel circuit is up ahead!"

There was a ramp to the right that sloped into an underground tunnel, and three envelopes were heading that direction. When he got close, Jak jumped onto the nearest one, Daxter in tow. His partner's relocation wasn't as smooth; the man flopped horizontally on his stomach and wheezed out a couple curses.

"Next time?" he said. "I'm taking the _bus._ "

Wincing, Jak helped him get situated by grabbing him by the belt and righting him.

"We're almost there."

They came upon a room with a reception gate. The envelope they were riding on deposited them on the ground as it shrunk without warning and slipped past a tiny slot in a door. Music that was better suited to an elevator than a computer-generated entry point played in the background.

"Are you _sure_ this is the right spot?"

"The map says it is."

Daxter walked up to the reception window and peered through the metal bars marring the outside in an attempt to see if someone was there.

"Helloooo?"

He knocked on the bars and a female automated voice suddenly spewed out of nowhere.

"Hello, and welcome to the Freedom League Network. We aim to protect and serve. Please, insert your user login and password to continue."

"That answers that, I guess. You have an access code?"

"Are you kidding? As if Torn would trust _me_ with information to his machines. He doesn't appreciate me so much as looking at them."

"Me neither. Let's guess," Jak suggested, coming up beside him. There was a keypad next to the door and he typed in Torn's name to start.

"We're limited to seven letters."

"Like that cuts it down," Daxter said. "How about Ashelin? He's got the hots for her, so maybe that's it."

"He does?"

Daxter delivered a dubious stare, the kind that blatantly stated Jak had missed a vital detail at some point.

"Since when?" Jak asked, trying to get him to elaborate.

"You know, this explains quite a bit."

"It does?"

Not answering any of his questions, Daxter entered the letters himself.

"DENIED! Please, enter your login and password."

"One down, twenty billion to go."

Jak input 'daggers', resulting in the same message, and so did 'freedom'. Their third try produced a new announcement, at least.

"DENIED! Intruder detected, activating security measures alpha-alpha-zero. Thank you for visiting the Freedom League Network, and have a nice day."

A total lockdown overcame the area, vault doors sliding out from the walls and covering the entrance with the slot in it and blocking the window. An electric field initiated, sparking with enough energy to blast them through a layer of high density armor – or five – if they hadn't jumped away. Automatic guns came out of hidden slots and locked onto them.

Oh, and there were lasers.

"Looks like we'll have to resort to our usual tactics."

"I hear that," Daxter said.

In unison, they grabbed their weapons and switched to the purple mod. A single shot from each gun made a hole that a truck could drive through.

"You think Torn'll be upset if we tell him how easy it was to invade his systems?"

"Probably."

Grinning ear-to-ear in glee, Daxter said, "I get dibs on telling him. I can't wait to see if he rages so hard his face turns bright red and his tattoos fall off."

Assuming they found a way there, since beyond the tattered remains was an empty space as plain as when they'd stayed with Vin for that short while. No matter how far they explored, there was nothing to be found.

That is, until a light shone down, and after traveling in the darkness with nothing but the glow of their suits, it blinded them. Then they were yanked upwards, as if a cord was pulling them by their waists, and together they slammed into what felt a lot like glass, but wasn't. They were tangled together, Daxter's face squished against the flat surface and Jak's arm stuck under the combined weight of their bodies.

His friend mumbled something, the words indistinguishable due to his mouth being pressed too tight against the 'window'. Blowing Daxter's hair out of his mouth, Jak asked him to reiterate.

Shoving Jak slightly aside, he was able to shift and say, "Oi, we found Torn!"

Looking past, he was able to spot the commander, coffee spilled down the front of his clothes and fingers itching to grab his pistols.

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing on a private line?"

This time, Jak pushed Daxter to the side. His partner let out a protest.

"My spleen!"

"Torn, it's us! Jak and Daxter!"

"Jak?"

The glass they were pressed against enhanced, tripling in size and focusing as Torn executed a command. Both men were able to separate from each other now that they had the room.

"Who's Scrawny?"

" _Scrawny?_ Who are _you_ calling scrawny, Scrawny?"

"That would be Daxter," Jak informed, even if at this point it was probably not required.

The window enhanced again. Torn leaned in to analyze.

"Nope, not seeing the resemblance."

"That's because I'm new and improved! Or is it old and reinvented? Whichever – point is, I'm the one and only Orange Lightning! Now available in a bigger size."

"I take it back, that's definitely the vain loudmouth."

"Don't be jealous," Daxter said, to which the commander rolled his eyes.

"Torn, we need to get to Freedom HQ, and fast."

"I'll say. Keira and Tess are beside themselves looking for you. Most of my men are trying to dig you out. A pointless venture, considering you're apparently in there."

Daxter asked, "How come you're not helping?"

"I _was_ going to check Vin's backup discs and reinstall him here in the hopes of gaining contact with him, but that will have to wait. I'm going to see if I can download you onto a portable drive and escort you to the center of New Haven City. It'll be faster, and I won't have to listen to the furless whelp along the way."

Over the sound of Daxter's indignant 'Hey!' Jak said, "Thanks, we owe you one."

"Once we have you out of there, you can start by buying me a new shirt."

While they waited for Torn to complete the necessary tasks, Jak asked, "You said Keira was alright?"

"Yeah. They radioed us immediately after the accident. They suffered a couple burns and lacerations, but nothing major. Had to put up a fight to get them checked out, though – they were more intent on finding you two."

"That's my Tessie-poo. Nothing gets in her way when she's on a mission," Daxter boasted, scratching the back of his neck.

"All set. No idea how this is supposed to work for you two, but the drive is connected."

At Torn's words, a Warp Gate appeared, exactly like the one they'd used back at Vin's that mimicked the ones they used in the real world.

It seemed too easy.

And, of course, it was.

As they approached the exit, a tiny red lens peeked out from behind it: a KG Death Bot. It wasn't alone, five more crawled out from the dark. On Torn's end, alarms sounded and warning lights blinked off and on.

"Daxter, what did you do?" Torn demanded.

"Trust me, glum-nuts, this ain't my doing!"

Jak gave the first shot, knocking three back and trying to clear a path to the portal. But too many of them replaced their fallen. Daxter and he were fighting just to remain standing and the KG Bots' numbers were increasing rapidly. They were barely keeping up with them.

"They must have followed us here. But how? I thought we lost them," Daxter said, having to maneuver back-to-back with Jak to prevent them from getting ganged-up on and picked off.

"I don't know; what I do know is that we've lost Torn."

The window to the outside world had gone, cutting communications off. With it, the Warp Gate had disappeared, leaving them stranded.

"How do you predict we'll get out of this one in one piece, Jak?"

Jak was strapped for ideas, and they were running out of time. The enemy had them surrounded and were closing in and starting to issue hits on them. He registered Daxter hissing in pain as an enemy's shot connected, and Jak tried to double his efforts at the sound. He mercilessly kicked a Spy Bot away, but another took that chance to take hold of his leg and refuse to let go. Jak tried to shoot the rest that approached, but it was too late. The automatic killing machines were crawling all over them.

"Jak!" Daxter screamed, distressed and furious, though not at him, he knew. He was pissed off at the situation, too, because there was no escaping.

* * *

To Be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to give further credit in this chapter, but I wanted to include at in the end so no spoilers were present before readers even got started. Originally I had Jak summoning jet boots, but after some collaboration with Cassandra Cassidy, it was decided that the Jet Board was more practical and canonical. So thanks for the insight, soul sis!
> 
> Also, a little explanation about the Torn/Ashelin bit: in Jak 3, we all know that Jak and Ashelin might have had a little congratulatory make-out session at the end, and I amused myself here with the excuse for it being possible that Jak was just too oblivious to pick up on the fact that her and Torn might have a thing, too, hah hah.


	5. Reoccurring Technical Difficulties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a routine visit to an old friend, Jak and Daxter find themselves swept into another adventure. Old faces, new toys, and the same wacky hijinx guaranteed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep stating the obvious when it comes to the number of chapters left to be posted, but I can't help being excited that there's two more left to go. In two more weeks this baby will be completed, woohoo! Heh, it's been awhile since I've come this close to posting a chapter fanfic and finishing it.
> 
> Another reminder: Keppiehed is the saint behind editing this story. Rock on, beta reader, rock on. :'D

Jak opened his eyes to a nightmare. Cages, dozens of them in number, lined the walls of a sparse, grimy room. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew they were empty – everyone and everything that had been contained in them were dead. There was little else to look at; the floor was nothing more than a bridge and a platform in its center.

He remembered this dark place, his memories consisting of torment and a hate so deep he'd never be entirely rid of it, even if he lived to be one hundred and one. Jak was lying strapped to a chair, needles and tubes hovering overhead.

Jak was in the disgusting belly of Haven City prison, the Dark Eco Warrior Program division, and he wasn't alone.

To his right, where empty space should have taken residence, Daxter laid unconscious in a similar predicament, bound to a chair with deadly machines surrounding him. If Jak could vomit, he would have.

"Dax?" he whispered, surprised to find his voice wasn't worn raw, that it was still functioning at all, really. His friend remained passed out, and he tried again, louder. "Daxter?"

"I'm afraid he can't hear you, Jak. I have him on standby mode."

That voice sent a shiver along each knot in his spine, except it wasn't born out of fear. It was pure disbelief and rage that fueled the reaction. Inclining his head to regard Erol with a murderous look, Jak noticed that the sicko resembled his earliest appearance, when they'd first met: he was missing the additions of metal parts and Dark Eco burns he'd grown accustomed to seeing marring the other man's body. Very normal, and very much a cocky, demented prick.

"I thought I'd killed you. Twice."

"In body, perhaps, but I'm not so easily disposed of," he said, sauntering into place beside the seat Jak was restrained in. Still an arrogant bastard, then.

"What are you doing here?" Jak demanded.

Erol 'tsked' and said, "Never one to wonder about the how and why? _Pathetic_."

He did, but they weren't number one on Jak's priority list. He was more concerned with the maniac's plans – mainly, how they would apply to Daxter and him. He refused to speak, not allowing himself to be goaded into a verbal distraction.

"Very well, I won't regale you with the details," Erol said. "I _was_ minding my own business, leaving this part of myself behind in case my main unit was compromised – which you no doubt had a hand in, you nosy _runt_ – when a signal roused me. I was draining power from the Eco Grid, waiting for the right moment to strike…when lo and behold, you and your merry group of nitwits made a move too _stupid_ and enticing to ignore."

"So, you're what caused Vin's equipment to go haywire."

Erol smirked, confirming it, seeming proud of the fact.

"It was way too easy – that halfwit Vin was outdated. I should thank you; I'm inside the Freedom HQ Network because of you. It's only a matter of time before I control Haven City," he said. "Roping you in was such a treat. I have a bit of time to kill until my armies are finished infiltrating, so how do you propose we should pass it?"

Diversion wasn't such a bad idea, not that Erol had to realize that. Jak worked on the bonds and kept the man talking, since the restraints were immune to 'mind over matter' and they were not coming magically undone at his mental command.

"What's the point of taking Haven City? The wars are over."

" _The wars will never be over!_ " Erol snapped, in more than one sense of word. He was in Jak's face then, baring his teeth akin to a wild animal. "Haven City is a battlefield, Jak, and I intend to keep it that way – the whole damn world, too, if I feel like it!"

Finished with his tirade, he backed off and acted less crazed, but retained his insanity.

"It's a work in progress. I don't mind starting small. This city and all its inhabitants will be mine to command – starting with you two."

Walking over to Daxter's prone body, Jak tensed as Erol reached for him, the near contact sending him into a frenzy. Jak fought the straps that kept him on the spot, the material tightening as he put up a real fight, and it cut into his skin.

"What are you doing? Keep away from him!"

"I won't be needing this anymore, now that I've got you right where I want you," Erol informed him. Jak couldn't make sense of the words until he reached behind Daxter's head and tore something free. A sharp-edged device had been buried into the back of his neck, where hair met skin, concealing it up to this point. Despite being out cold, his partner released a pained whimper in the back of his throat as whatever it was was yanked out.

" _Don't you fucking touch him_!" Jak roared. He ignored the way the restraints continued to dig deeper, finding the strength to struggle harder. "I swear, if you touch him again, I'll kill you a _hundred times_ if that's what it takes to stop you!"

"Yes, yes, yes. I've heard it all before," he said, unaffected by the other's outburst of death threats. He carelessly tossed the device he'd taken from Daxter – a blinking machine that reminded him of a tracking beacon; probably _was_ , come to think of it, since that would explain how Erol found them – into a metal pan, next to saws, shots and sharp instruments of that nature.

"But don't worry, I'm more interested in having my fun with you first. The twerp can wait until after, because you see, this time _I'm_ the one in charge. Not Baron Praxis, not the Dark Makers – _me_ , and it's my suggestion that you remember I possess the power to say when and how you'll be dying."

Returning to Jak's side of the platform, Erol pushed a button on the side of his chair, which caused the equipment above to stir.

"Speaking of, what would you to like to be re-programmed into? I'd personally love to see you as my next pistol, or a Sentinel."

"Go fuck yourself," Jak said, with unwavering conviction.

"Sentinel it is. Oh, and this _will_ hurt. A whole lot. Feel welcome to scream for me."

He pushed the button again, Erol grinning in expectant delight and Jak bracing for imminent pain – _electrical pulses that traveled straight through bone, his blood boiling_ – save that was what his body recalled, but… The lighting overhead went out, a blue wireframe of the objects and people in the room glowing against a black backdrop before returning to normal. Jak glanced at Erol and Erol glanced at the button, which continued to rest there indifferently. His thumb pressed it again, this time nothing happening in the slightest. He slammed a fist down on it, and still nothing occurred.

"Out of juice?" Jak deadpanned.

Erol sneered and forewent the controls, instead wrenching up a scalpel.

"I don't need any fancy software to reformat you. I'll do it the old fashioned way."

The environment fluttered into its basic shapes again, disrupting Erol a second time. Gritting his teeth, he shifted his golden eyes moodily to the scenery.

"Whatever is causing that had better wait its turn! I won't be denied this triumph!"

With those famous last words, the room gave a final shudder, returning to blue lines and black before one of the walls shattered, and a tidal wave of water flooded the area. Jak and Daxter, tethered to the chairs as they were, didn't go anywhere, but Erol wasn't as lucky. He was swept away with the currents, which were draining into the black abyss under the platform.

Thankfully, the liquid wasn't what Jak was accustomed to. As it filtered off, he was dry and didn't need to breathe, a relief since neither Daxter nor he drowned as the water filtered out. The water trickled off into a tiny stream, at which point Vin crashed through the opening on a surfboard, wearing a version of his own prototype armor like a wetsuit, the only difference being that he had a tool belt strapped to him. He clung to his makeshift raft on his belly instead of hanging ten, like most would have.

"Vin?"

"J-Jak! Thank goodness I found you!" he sputtered, flopping around as he tried to right himself on the portion of the floor that was occupied with evaporating puddles. "You won't believe what I had to do to get here! Surfing the web is the _worst_ method of travel."

"No time for stories, Vin! Get me out of this thing!"

"Ah, right, right!"

He hurried over, his fingers jerking so hard that they slipped more than loosened the bonds. As soon as Jak had a hand free he undid the rest himself.

"Something's wrong with Dax. Erol did something to him," he said, sliding out of the chair. "He called it…'standby mode', I think."

"Erol? As in, Commander of the Krimzon Guard, Erol? He who has most zoomer race kills on the record, the right-hand representative of the Dark Makers and enjoys little babies crying in terror, Erol? The same Erol who-"

" _Yes_ , Vin, that Erol!"

"This is bad! This is worse than bad, this is disastrous!"

"Don't worry about him – can you wake up Dax?"

Vin hesitated. He examined his friend by reaching up his fingers, a translucent keyboard activating over Daxter's chest that allowed him to input some kind of sequence. He frowned, and Jak hoped it was because of concentration and not frustration.

"I think so… He's locked, but not terribly so. Give me a minute and I should have it sorted out."

The floor rumbled, and Erol's enraged yell echoed from below.

"You don't have a minute," Jak said, unstrapping Daxter and moving him into Vin's arms. "Take him as far away as possible, return him back to the way he was and then get him into the real world if you can. I'll buy you two some time."

"But Jak! It's too dangerous to face Erol by yourself! He can't possibly be human; he'll eat you alive like a rabid crocadog!"

"Eh, I've faced him before, and he was a lot bigger the second time around. I can handle him."

A yellow and orange spotted…tentacle? whip? ensnared his ankle, dragging Jak over the edge and down to where Erol had fallen. He yelped as he was bodily thrown to the ground and then lifted up and smacked into a wall. His earlier words came back to haunt him as he realized _he_ was the one being handled and not the other way around.

* * *

To Be Continued…


	6. End Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a routine visit to an old friend, Jak and Daxter find themselves swept into another adventure. Old faces, new toys, and the same wacky hijinx guaranteed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I was an hour late in getting this up on Wednesday, but summer school and busy lives can interfere occasionally like that. I apologize for the wait! Thank goodness Keppiehed had beta read this chapter and I'd already fixed it where needed; all that was left was getting it posted.

Taking from the virtual world whatever digital image a computer generates as a basic, visual representation the human brain can interpret and translating the data into easy to understand information was a simple concept. Though Jak hadn't had that expressly explained to him, nor would he have understood two-thirds of the technical mumbo-jumbo involved, it wasn't difficult to comprehend, since he was facing a Grade A example.

Erol, reduced to the same makeup as a computer virus, had certainly taken on the appearance of his new namesake. Tendrils similar to protrusions seen on the outside of viruses wriggled and waved in the air, coming forth from all parts of him, and his skin was sickly pale, like someone with the flu.

"Is it just me, or do you get uglier and uglier the more we meet?" Jak asked, in lieu of Daxter's pre-battle insults. He picked himself off the floor where he'd been forcefully deposited.

"You won't be so hot when I'm finished with you, Eco _freak_ ," Erol said, the barb in his words lost, considering he fit the description far better than Jak did.

He dodged an attack, one of the tentacles aiming for his head, and another missed his hip. Erol's reactions were fast, and to better retaliate against him, Jak summoned his Morph Gun, forgoing the rest of his mods and selecting the Peacemaker. Erol doggedly jumped out of the line of fire for the first shot, but the next landed a direct hit to his chest.

Jak thought that may be the end of it, because who survived a dark Eco bullet to the _chest?_ Half of Erol went missing: a gaping, jagged hole showcasing where Jak's shot had landed, but to his horror the skin and clothing simply…grew back. As if made of mercury or living putty, Erol's chest flowed together until he was whole.

Laughing at Jak's surprise, Erol rose up on three long tentacles attached to his back that acted like extended legs, giving him a distinct height advantage.

"You're going to have to try better than _that_ to stop me, Jak! Your bullets are useless against me."

Deciding to at least test that theory, Jak unloaded an entire clip into him, cutting off appendages and sprinkling him with so many gaps there was hardly a piece of his enemy left to identify. When he reloaded, Humpty Dumpty pieced himself together again. One of the newly reformed tentacles lashed out, swatting his weapon out of his hands, and turned around to backhand him hard, sending Jak flying. Landing flat on his back, he was momentarily stunned.

"Winded, so soon? How unfortunate – I expected better from you," Erol mocked, leisurely moving closer, and reached out an appendage to wrap dangerously taut around Jak's neck. It tightened, threatening to snap it in two. "You disappoint me."

Jak wanted to deliver another fond 'fuck you', but with his air passages closed, he couldn't do more than grunt, fingers scrambling to unlock Erol's death drip. He wished he could access his dark powers, or even the new set bestowed upon him by Light Eco. They would come in handy: the horns, fangs, even just the claws-

Suddenly, pointed black claws sprang from the fingers of his right hand and impaled the limb that was choking him. Erol cried out in pain, and recovering from shock faster, Jak summoned his Jet Board and brought his legs up to propel him in the opposite direction. That momentum, coupled with his razor sharp nails, enabled him to break free.

Landing in a crouch a short distance away, Jak examined his hand, shifting each digit and watching the claws chink against one another. There wasn't the crackle of energy that usually accompanied their appearance, but they functioned the same as when he turned into his darker half. Considering, he tried to remember the transformation – not the change itself, but instead, the results. He could feel horns form on top of his head and wings sprout from his back, a glow of alternating blue and purple light coming off his skin.

He may no longer access the different Ecos, but he sure hadn't lost his powers directly.

"Uh-oh."

Glancing up, Jak didn't take his eyes off Erol – whose smug expression was gone – as he brought his hands together and clapped. Time slowed to a crawl, and Jak didn't hesitate to run over to him and form a fist, his strength twice as powerful as what he was used to pumping through every muscle. He proceeded to punch Erol five or six times in rapid succession, making sure to land squarely in the man's face. When time resumed its usual course, Erol fell flat on the ground, dazed and never knowing what hit him.

Diving, Jak used his wings to speed past Erol's weak attempts at defense, and the few tentacles he wasn't able to avoid were swatted aside with his clawed hand. He resumed his punching streak. Erol tried to swat him off or push him away, but Jak was wailing on him too hard and fast to give him a chance.

When Jak was about to nail Erol right in the nose, the other man's form blurred, sort of reshaping itself, and the end result gave him pause. His fist hovered in the air as Damas' face stared back up at him. He was an exact copy, save for the eyes, which were all wrong. That particular feature of his father's was never that disgusting shade of yellow, twisted like tainted gold.

"What the sh-"

A tentacle lashed out and knocked him in the chest, pinning him to the ground as Damas – _no_ , Erol parading as the deceased ruler of Spargus – rose and planted a foot on him, holding him in place. He was laying awkwardly on one wing, the appendage twisted under the bulk of his body and Erol's, making it hard for him to position himself in such a way as to escape.

But this was impossible! The other had no way of knowing-

Snarling, Jak said, "You have no fucking _right!_ "

"Aw, does someone need a hug? No?" Erol asked, cooing and making a joke of his father, before changing into Keira. "Is this better?"

Jak raised a hand to remove the man's leg, but a tentacle snapped out and stopped him mid-swipe. Erol planted his hands, stained with oil grease, on his hips (the pose so like Keira it had him doubting his sight) and leaned forward, grinning in a way that didn't reflect the real Keira. It was white teeth and sultry lips that vowed Awful Things, and it had no place on his friend's face; neither did Erol's eyes.

"You keep coming up with ways to foil me, Jak, but I'm smarter and superior in every way. Just give _in_."

"I'd rather die," he said seriously.

"That _could_ be arranged, but I have a different plan in mind," Erol said.

One of the appendages lifted up and took on the shape of a spear. The pointed tip embedded itself into Jak's shoulder and stung, but it was nothing compared to what came next: a burning sensation similar to acid coursed from the entry wound, seeping around the connective tissue and invading his arm and neck. No stranger to pain, he still couldn't struggle longer than a second before he was screaming and writhing under the abuse.

And Erol threw back his head and _laughed_ , still wearing Keira's face, adding another layer of torment. Jak couldn't do anything more than lie there, feeling as if his body was dissolving.

Gratefully, the moment didn't last forever, due to Erol's head exploding. The torture ceased for a moment as the other man's body went still before another hole was blown into it. Erol recoiled, the tentacle embedded in Jak's shoulder wrenching free with a sick sound that left him gasping. He clutched the opening, the wound free of blood or other gunk, but the skin and clothes in the affected vicinity were red zeros and ones on black. Used to blue numbers, he knew this couldn't be a good thing.

Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted his savior scaling down the side of the wall: Daxter, who was still sighting down the scope of his gun. Vin wasn't too far behind, using a parachute to float down instead.

When they reached the bottom, Jak couldn't even get a word in before Daxter was bombarding him, saying, "You are in _so much trouble,_ mister! 'Fix Dax'? 'Get Dax out of here'? Are you _high_ , thinkin' you can get rid of me, just like that? If you didn't look like you were experiencing physical bipolarism and about to mutate, I'd show you how easy I am to get rid of!"

"You two _shouldn't_ be here! Dax, Erol is-"

"I don't want to hear it!" his friend said, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation. "There's no chance in hell I'd let you kick that loser's butt without me and take all the glory. We're going to stick it out with you and you're going to _like it_ , capeesh?"

Jak made a strangled noise in the back of his throat as Daxter refused to listen, albeit internally appreciative for the support. It wasn't as if he was in the best condition anymore to take on Erol alone, not that he would admit it aloud.

Vin had approached him during the exchange and examined his wounded half, making a point not to touch it outright, and said, "This is… Ah! Jak, you've been infected!"

"So give him a booster shot?" Daxter suggested, feigning nonchalance, but it his words came out too much like a question to uphold the image.

"I can't just m-magically produce a cure! I need a sample from the original host, and then I'll need to formulate it! It could take several minutes; by then Jak could be gone!"

"I'm _right_ here," Jak said, tired of being talked over.

Apparently, so was Erol. Head shots must have been slow to recover from, because it'd taken that long to regroup. He'd doubled the amount of tendrils sprouting from his body and announced his return by flinging an appendage towards them; it nearly attached itself to Daxter's face. He yelped, noticing it out of the corner of his vision, and shot at it. The tip broke off and landed on Jak's chest, the detached part continuing to squirm.

Vin nearly fainted at the sight of it, but Jak used his good hand to swipe it off him to the Vin's feet, instructing him to get started on making that treatment.

"Dax and I will hold him off. How long do you need to make that cure?"

"Oh, er, well, if I take into account…," he started, listing off extensive equations and assumptions regarding scenarios, "I hypothesize at least seven minutes."

"You have five," Jak said, and gingerly got to his feet.

Almost his entire chest area was useless at this point, as was one arm and the shoulder attached to it. Soon he'd lose the other arm, so he made the best of it by grabbing a tentacle that came their way and forcing Erol to stand in place, making a perfect target for Daxter to shoot at. When their opponent caught onto that, he slapped two appendages to the ground, their ends seeping into the floor and coming out under their feet, sending him and Daxter both in the air.

Jak used his wings and glided in front of their enemy, his clawed hand – the unaffected one – stabbing _him_ in the shoulder. Jak wanted to see how he enjoyed it when the situation was reversed. His partner wasn't as graceful; Daxter flopped onto one of Erol's tentacles and hung on for dear life as it flung every which way, trying to throw him off.

"I'm joining the rodeo after this, because I'm becoming a pro at it!"

Jak smirked, partly because of Daxter's comment, and partly because he'd just head-butted Erol in the face, the front of his horns having connected solidly.

Erol's tentacle, the one Daxter was holding onto, swung towards him, and Jak flapped his wings to rise over it. He returned to his previous position and uppercut Erol in the chin. A thought crossed his mind: how many punches could Erol take to the head before he suffered permanent brain damage, but he figured it was too late for that.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Vin frantically fiddling with something, and he hoped he was close to finishing. Erol had zero patience at the best of times – no doubt he was closing in on his limit, and then there was no telling what crazy stunt he was going to pull. Whatever it might be, Jak knew there would be no enjoying it.

"Vin, you better be done!" Daxter shouted, having similar thoughts. His timing couldn't have been worse, because Vin had no reservations about announcing his success to him.

"I've got it!" Vin said, proudly holding up a beaker with a yellow liquid inside.

Erol heard this as clear as they did, and deftly went to take the container. Vin, seeing that he was the sole attention of the KG Commander, screamed so shrilly that he impersonated a little girl and threw the glass bottle. Daxter caught it, strictly by chance, as his 'ride' passed the line of fire. He and Vin played a risky game of Keep Away from Erol, until Jak finally got his hands on it. His accomplishment was short-lived, as one of Erol's larger appendages slammed down on him, sending Jak to the floor. It raised up, intending to smack him again, but he formed a shield to protect himself.

Beyond the blurred sphere guarding him, Jak could identify KG Death Bots swarming the area; Erol must have called in reinforcements. There was little time left to retaliate before their small party would be outnumbered in the field. No longer able to feel his legs, Jak was stuck where he was and was forced to wait for Erol to get close on his own – knowing that eventually, Erol would walk right into his own demise.

When the chance came, he took the cure in the fingers he had left in his control. The shield wavered, and he locked gazes with his enemy for what damn well better be the last time. Erol was in the middle of changing into Damas when Jak dropped his shield entirely, slamming the beaker into him and shattering its contents across his front.

The Krimzon Guard commander screeched, over and over again, as his body shriveled up. The appendages crumbled into dust and then to zeroes and ones and the rest of him followed suit. His army of KG Death Bots did the same, every single one of them deleting. Soon, there was nothing left to show that Erol and his army had ever existed, save the lingering sounds of his death throes.

Jak looked down at his skin, the red numbers near his good digits shimmering where the concoction Vin had made had splattered onto him, too. As quickly as the alteration had begun, the process reversed, his clothes and body returning to normal. He experimented by moving his various body parts, wanting to double-check that they were functioning properly. They were.

"That…was so… _wicked_!" Daxter said, stars in his eyes.

"Wicked? That was harrowing! I've never felt so alive!" Vin elaborated, looking rattled.

"And when you did that thing-"

"And how you managed to-"

"And I can't believe it when you-"

"These suits I made sure came in handy. I think it's safe to say they work," Vin finished. No one but those present were able to understand what had just transpired between his and Daxter's talk.

"Hey, Jak," Daxter started, turning towards him. He noticed that Jak hadn't joined them. He cut himself off, however, when he saw Jak alone, a ways off from them. "You okay, buddy?"

He'd dejectedly gotten to his feet and was staring at the spot where Damas – _Erol_ – had vanished, and though there wasn't a trace of him left, he could still envision the end. He felt vulnerable, despite them having won, and he didn't feel much up to celebrating. Then, without warning, Daxter's arm slung across his shoulder, bringing him out of his reverie; Jak unaccustomed to his partner being able to achieve such a feat since his reach was limited as an ottsel. It was still awkward, since he had the wings, but Daxter managed.

"What do you say about dropping the two-face getup and we grab a few congratulatory drinks at my place, huh? I won't even put them on your tab."

Without pointing out that Daxter never ran _him_ a tab, he mumbled, "Yeah, alright," and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the Eco-centric additions were gone.

"Which way is out of this popsicle stand?" Daxter asked.

"This way. I memorized the coordinates, so getting out shouldn't be as much a hassle as getting around was before," Vin said, respectfully reserved.

He opened up a Warp Gate, and together the three of them trekked towards home.

* * *

To Be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly didn't think about the repercussions of my writing Erol's transformation until the birthday girl, Cassandra Cassidy, pointed out the fact, but I guess subconsciously I will always see him as a little kinky, whether it's supposed to be intentional or not. :| fml


	7. Game Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a routine visit to an old friend, Jak and Daxter find themselves swept into another adventure. Old faces, new toys, and the same wacky hijinx guaranteed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surpriiiiise! I thought I'd post the final chapter early, as a thank you to everyone who kept up with the story – in secret and via reviews. ;) So thanks for sticking with me! It was a pleasure to write for Cassandra Cassidy, work with Keppiehed on fixing this bad boy up and sharing it with you all.

  
**Epilogue**   


"And when Torn lost the connection, he high-tailed it to the Power Station to confer with Keira and Tess. They decided it was best to use my backup discs at HQ and ordered – and I mean _ordered_ – me to go in search of the both of you. I _tried_ to tell them I wasn't hero material, but those girls are scary! They wouldn't take no for an answer. I hadn't a clue where to begin, but I was lucky to pick up a trail that led me to Erol. He wouldn't know how to hide his IP address if it came camouflaged," Vin finished, catching Jak and Daxter up to speed as he worked on getting them to Freedom League Headquarters.

After the battle with Erol and the close encounter with his minions, Vin had escorted them out of the mock-prison. Jak was more than elated to leave it behind, and Vin had set up a sort of portable station in the empty space beyond. He'd dropped a box of some kind that, when it smacked into the floor, built itself up into a miniature version of a communications post. He was multitasking, speaking to them as he held a headset to one side of his head and tuned a dial.

The duo of renegades sat out of his way, listening and trying to make sense of his work. What Vin was trying to pinpoint or hear was beyond them, so Daxter chimed in, "Sounds exciting. Not as exciting as _our_ trip along the cords of fate, but hey, it's a good start. Jak and I will have to give you a couple pointers."

He added, "And as much as I've enjoyed the lack of fleas, I'm looking forward to going back to my adorable counterpart. No offense, Techie, but I think I've had my fill of this place. It'll be great to be in my old body again. I don't mind the dames digging my fuzzy looks, but this? The female populous will swoon to death and it'd be immoral of me to risk that!"

"No offense taken; you can keep your mortality. I'm sure going to miss you two, though," he said, a tad sullenly. "Looks like it'll be back to playing Solitaire when I'm not checking the city's condition."

"Buddy, I don't know about you, but I've had it up to here," Daxter began, holding his hand horizontally equal to his pointed ears, "with adventure. At least for today. My secretary is out of the office at the moment, but if I remember correctly, there's an opening in my schedule next week, if you're interested."

"On second thought, card games might not be so bad. Ah! I've got a connection," Vin announced, and the screen furthest to the right flashed. Torn, Keira, Tess and Ashelin were present in the central command room of the new palace, staring expectantly in their direction through the display, and exclaimed their names, happy to see them.

Save for maybe Tess, who looked horrorstruck to see her boyfriend and his makeover.

"Pumpkin, what happened to you?" she borderline wailed. Her eyes got wide and teared up. "Torn told me you'd changed, but not _this!_ "

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm still your honey on the inside, I swear!" Daxter said, scrambling to appease her. Jak could hardly track him as his friend got to his feet and pressed close to the monitor. "Everything will return to normal when I get out of here, you'll see."

"Alright, I believe you," she sniffled, before putting on a serious expression. "Get my man out of there, stat!"

"I'm on it," Ashelin said, authorizing the computers to commence the reverse process. She inserted a key into a slot and gave it a forceful turn, causing activity on both sides. "Just hold on tight to your pants, boys, I'm not sure how-"

Before Jak or Daxter could hear the last of her statement or his friend could comment that his pants were all he probably _could_ have left to hang onto, they were dragged out of the computer layer by layer. It was a grueling and prolonged process to experience, though in reality it couldn't have taken longer than a few minutes to complete.

Jak knew when it was finished because one moment his sights were filled with blurs and his hearing was shot, and the next his body felt _heavy._ Everything fell into place and his senses were plagued with impressions. People were shouting, and his ears felt the vibrations but had difficulty interpreting them, until he just… _could._

Torn gave his shoulder a welcoming pat, the strike warm where the other man's skin touched his shirt and the fabric rubbed him. The bodysuit Vin had bestowed upon him was no longer with him; his old clothes – the _real_ set of his attire – was back. He nodded at Torn and Ashelin in kind, as she did the same, and clenched his fist. The fabric of his gloves creaked and rubbed against the pads of his fingers: strong, but soft from overuse.

Daxter, returned to his ottsel self, was experiencing a similar feeling of surrealism, until Tess pounced on him. Her paws had her at the Daxter's side in seconds, her tiny arms practically lifting his partner back to his feet as she snuggled against him.

"Oh, Daxter! I was so, so, so worried about you!" she proclaimed between kisses, smothering the top of her boyfriend's head with bright pink lipstick in the shape of her lips. The rest of his face was squashed into her chest, making it hard for him to respond, but eventually he was able to get a little distance.

Gasping for fresh air, he was able to say, "Aw, shucks, baby, I could never stay away from you for too long! And I told you I'd be back to my sexy self, didn't I?"

"Oh, you! I never doubted it for a moment," Tess gushed.

Jak felt a light touch to his shoulder, and inclined his head to see Keira there. She looked a little rattled, her clothes torn in two places and a dark smudge of soot marring one cheek, as if she'd gone through a compactor. She was smiling tentatively, and that eased some of his concerns for her wellbeing.

"How are you two, really? None of us are clear on what was going on – after awhile, we lost contact with Vin entirely."

"It's a long story," Jak started. He ran a thumb along her face, removing the mark on her cheek. She smiled wider at that, but before either of them could say or do anything more, Daxter (still covered in Tess' adoring kisses) was hopping onto his rightful place on Jak's shoulder and interjecting himself in their conversation.

"I'll say! Why, this might be better than The Precursor Legacy as far as adventures go!"

"I don't know about that, but you two better start filling us in," Ashelin started. "I want to know why half of Haven City lost power _after_ the Eco Grid was put out of commission, and who's responsible for it so I can cuff them in solitary confinement for a long time."

"Oh, yes, please, tell us!" Tess said, politely taking a seat on Jak's opposite shoulder and staring at them expectantly, knowing that Daxter would at least have a story to present. No one was surprised or disappointed when Daxter cleared his throat and straightened, getting into the mood and acting out his tale of how Jak and him survived the perils of the computer world.

At one point, Vin's digitalized head materialized over the center console to correct him on some finer points, though Jak himself kept quiet and let them detail the adventure. He was just glad to have returned intact, even if…a strange part of him remained uneasy.

* * *

The hub of the Haven City, Freedom League conference room was unusually empty at this late hour. The sun _had_ set and most were in bed or asleep. A sparse few milled about during the graveyard shift, protecting the streets or repairing lingering war damage. This main area was _supposed_ to be occupied by at least one high ranking officer, sometimes Ashelin herself or Torn, when he wasn't needed elsewhere. Tonight, their absence was felt as nobody – _absolutely nobody_ – was present. Jak was grateful for this fact, not wanting an audience to overhear the conversation he intended on having. Nor was he keen on being rushed. This was important, and why he had come by himself, not even informing Daxter of his activities.

Approaching the circular control panel in the center, he hovered indecisively near the machine. He lingered for an extended span, staring at the computer. A lone finger lifted, determined to boot up the computer, but stopped short. When he couldn't come to his own decision, the computer decided for him – Vin's holographic head manifested, the computer running without his involvement.

His associate retained his 'old' look; HQ's technology had advanced, but not as far as the Power Grid's intended upgrades had been. The top-of-the-line equipment (aka: that which Virus-Erol had unceremoniously toasted) that Keira and Tess had installed was, to his understanding, a sample of Vin's own design, and notably one-of-a-kind. It would be some time yet until any of them saw the results and differences between what they were using now and what Vin had in store, considering it would have to be rebuilt from scratch.

"Jak? What are you doing here?" Vin asked, brows furrowing.

Jak chose his words wisely, and said, "I have a favor to ask, if you're not busy."

"Sure I do! I'm only calibrating a series of algorithms to enhance security. For some reason, there's a hole in it so big Kor could stroll through it, but I always have time for you!" Vin said, eager to please. "What is it you need?"

"You can…access any information, right?" he asked, semi-avoiding inquiring the real question. He wanted to be sure it was possible before getting his hopes too high.

"Of course," Vin stated, in such a way that he would proclaim Spargus was sandy and Haven Forest had trees. "I posses an extensive library of electronic encyclopedias on the mythological, psychological, spiritual, historical and factual; not to mention direct access to Haven City archives, personal records and catalogs."

"Historical? Personal records?"

Vin backpedaled when Jak mentioned the latter, and said, "Y-yes, I do, but I'm obligated to warn you that I'm under strict moral _and_ ethical standards to respect the privacy of living individuals. Because I won't invade a person's confidentiality like that and be reduced to a cheap stalker-"

"It's nothing like that," Jak interrupted, waving aside the other's concern. "I…what do you know… What can you tell me about a man named Damas?"

Vin was silent, and the quiet unsettled him to the point that Jak had time to consider himself foolish for considering this course of action. It was _stupid_ of him to dig up the past like this.

Before Jak could tell him to forget he'd ever come, Vin said, "There's not much, because the Baron ordered most of the documents and files on him destroyed, but there are some traces."

A pause, allowing Jak to consider, and then, "I can bring them up for you, if you'd like. I think there are even some old photographs buried in these databanks of mine."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd appreciate it," Jak said, slowly taking a seat and settling in. If his voice cracked, Vin was smart enough not to comment on it.

Rapidly, pages of information streamed onto two places: the tiny monitor situated in front of his station and the holographic projector in the middle of the table. Enhanced, two-dimensional copies and half a dozen pictures – a handful unfocused – came up, and Jak instructed for them to setup like a slideshow. He spent a good deal of time memorizing them. The Damas he saw in them was an entirely different – but not so different – person than who he had grown accustomed to. As Vin kept digging, he found two video clips to add to the growing collection, along with reports that were made after Damas had been exiled. Praxis had given him several aliases.

"You know, I might not look it, but I'm old enough to remember when he was ruler of Haven City," Vin murmured, not wanting to distract Jak too much from his reading, but offering him what he recalled at length.

Silent the entire duration of his visit, Jak spent all night absorbing what Vin had to offer, and though exhausted from their combined efforts, it felt…right, somehow, to have finally come this far.

-Fin-


End file.
